mcgarry



J. T. M GARRY RAILWAY SWITCH STAND July 17, 1928.

Filed April 11, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J8 [mren for,

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I flifo meg July 17, 1928.

J. T. MGARRY RAILWAY SWITCH STAND Filed April 11, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 17, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN '1. MOGARRY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN VALVE AND METER COMPANY. OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

RAILWAY-SWITCH STAND.

' Application filed April 11, 1927. Serial No 182.933.

My invention relates to improvements in railway switch stands. One of its-objects is to provide an improved simple and more reliable switch stand. Another object is to provide an improved switch stand in which the chief operative members are few and integral. Another object is to provide an improved switch stand in which the members are incapable of being inadvertently assembled in wrong or inoperative relation. Another object is to provide an improved switch stand in which the members when assembled are incapable of being accidently or inadvertently disconnected so as to become inoperative and thereby the source of accidents. My invention also comprises certain details of form and arrangement and combination of components, all of which will be fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings. in which;

Fig. 1 is a plan of a railway switch stand embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same partly broken away to expose the interior.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an integral vertical or main shaft and its actuating gear segment. 1

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an adjustable crank arm detached.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a connecting bolt detached' 7 Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an integral horizontal or driving shaft and a portion of its actuating lever detached.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the switch stand. showing the position of the parts while being assembled.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig.7 showing the posit-ion of the parts after assembly and in position for use.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention in which 15 represents the lower'or main switch stand frame or housing section, and 16 represents the upper or cap housing sect-ion. The housing section 15 is provided with feet 17 by means of which it is rigidly secured in position upon railway ties 18 by means of spikes 19. The housing section 16 is secured rigidly and detachable in place upon the housing section 15 by means of a series of stud bolts 20 and nuts 21 and some type of lock nuts not shown, to prevent the nuts 21 becoming accidentally detached.

A railway switch not shown is adaptedto be actuated through a link or connecting rod 22, which is attached at one end to the switch in the usual manner and which at its opposite end is forked and perforated. oll center, for the purpose of attaching said connecting rod by means of a bolt 35 to a crank arm 32 extending laterally from the main or vertical shaft 26. In order to pro-- vide against those weak points of construction and organization which experience has shown may possibly result in failure of the switch stand apparatus to function and hence are liable to result in a serious railway accident. I provide the main shaft 26 and a segmental miter gear 27 through which said main shaft driven. in one piece of a steel casting or forging. The main shaft is journaled in a bearing 23 which perforates the bottom plate 30 of the housing section 15, and has a thrust been ing 29 at the upper end of the bearing 28 to limit the movement of the main shaft and gear segment downwardly. Below the hearing 28 the main shaft 26 is perforated and screw threaded at 33 to adjustably receive the crank arm 32, the shank of which is threaded to engage the threads of the perforation 33. The eye 34 of the crank arm preferably enters between the forked arms of the connecting rod 22 and is firmly connected thereto by means of a pin or bolt 35 inserted through the perforations in the forked end of the connecting rod 22 and the eye 34: of the crank arm 32. The bolt 35 as shown has'an integral head 36 at one end and a nut 37 threaded to its opposite end, and as a further pre aution against disengagement of the nut 37 from the threaded end of the bolt- 35, a cotter pin 38 is passei'l through a perforation 39 in the end bf the bolt outside of the nut 37, and the free ends of the cotter pin projecting from said. perforation 39 are spread to prevent disengagement of the cotter pin from the perforation 39. The bolt 35 is designed to be employed with its head 36 above the crank arm and connecting rod, and the nut 37 and cotter pin 38 located below the crank arm and con necting rod, substantially as shown in Fig. 8, in which position it would be impossible for the bolt or pin to be withdrawn vcrtically from its engagement with the con necting rod and crank arm even though the cotter pin 38 and nut 37 were retrieved. since the head of the bolt occupies a positill tion close to and beneath the bottom plate of the housing 15, while the connecting rod 22 while attached to the switch is prevented by such attachment from being rotated upon its longitudinal axis. In prac-' ties the main shaft 26 is inserted in its bearing 28 in the housing section 15, and thereafter the crank arm 32 is threaded to the desired extent through the perforation 33 then before the connecting rod 22 is connected to the switch, the forked arms of the connecting rod and theeye 34 of the crank arm assembled with their perforations upon a horizontal axis, and the bolt 35 is inserted in .a horizontal direction and the nut 37 and cotter pin 38' adjusted into position to lock the bolt 35 firmly in place with -the nut 37 to the front of the switch stand substantially as shown in Fig. 7, after which the connecting rod 22' is turned or rocked one fourth of a revolution uponits longitudinal axis to lower the nut 37 and elevate the head 36 and bring the parts to sub stantially the position shown in Fig. 8, whereupon the connecting rod may .be rigidly attached to the switch to the connecting rod 22 against rotation in either direction. The crank arm 32 is adapted to be inserted into the perforation 33 from either end of said perforation, so that the crank and connecting rod may be adjusted to throw in either direction from opposite sides of the main shaft 26. Apair of stop pins 40 project downwardly from the bottom plate 30, and one or other of said pins 40 is in position to limit. the direction in which the connecting rod and crank arm can be rocked, since an attemptto rock the rod 22 and Crank arm ,32 to bring the nut 37 to the top would cause the threaded end of the bolt to engage a pin 40, and necessitate rocking the members to bring the head of the bolt instead of the nut to the top, after which engagement of the head 36 with the pin 40 would prevent rocking the members too far. 35 and the nut 37 may be dispensed with and only the cotter pin 38 relied upon to retain the headed belt or pin in place. A

' target shaft 42 is located above. and in, vertical alignment with the main shaft 26. The

1 lower end of the target shaft enters a recess 43 in the upper end of the shaft26, and is connected to the shaft 26 to rotate therewith by means of a pinv or rivet 44. The upper end vof the target shaft projects above the housing member 16 v to any desired height, and is adapted tolsupport a target and lantern to indicate at a distance whether the switch is open or closed. The target shaft is supported by a journal bearing 45 where it passes through the housing member 16.

A switch actuating shaft 46 is preferably formed integral with a Weighted hand lever If desired the threads on the bolt 4? located outside the housing members 15 and 16, and a segmental miter gear 48 lo cated within the switch housing and held in engagement with the segmental miter gear 27 on the main shaft 26. The actuating shaft 46 is mounted in a split journal bearing 45) formed partly in the housing section 15 and partly in the housing section 16. A reduced set-ion 50 of the actuating shaft located insiec of the segmental miter gear 48 is engaged by a half journal bearing 51 extending downwardly from theroof of the housing member 16 into bearing engagement with said shaft section 50 to assist in I holding the actuating shaft in alignment, and to resist lateral. thrust of said miter gears thereon. The actuating shaft 46 hand lever, 47 and segmental gear 48 being formcdintegral. by casting or forging from steel, serves to reduce the number of, operative parts, and to prevent accidents due to failure of the switch to function. j

My improved switch mechanism is capable (if-being assembled right hand or left in only one manner, that is so thatthe connecting bolt with its head up and its nut.

down will occupy positions beneath and adjacent to the bottom plate of the switch housing so as to prevent)displacen'ient of the connectin beltat any operative position of the switch. a I

The apparatus herein shown and described is capable of considerable modification within the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

-\Vhat I claim isi 1. A railway switch stand comprising a switch stand housing, a vertically disposedv shaft having a gear segment formed integral therewith and having a transverse threaded perforation in its lower end, said vertically disposed shaft being journaled to said switch stand at a; point intermediate of said gear segment and said perforation with its lower end projecting downwardly from the bottom of said housing, a crank arm located below said housing threaded into and rotatably adjustable rela-' tive to the perforation in said vertically disposed shaft, a connecting rod having one end thereof forked and adapted to operolution from a substantially horizontal to a substantially vertical position, and said bolt can only be inserted from one direction in a. substantially horizontal posltion to connect said connecting rod to said crank arm, and when rocked to a vertical position and said connecting rod connected operatively to a switch, said connecting bolt is prevented by said housing from being withdrawn from its position relative to said connecting rod and crank arm, a

2. A railway switch-stand comprising a switch-stand housing having a downwardly directed stop lug, a vertically disposed shaft journaled to said switch-stand with its lower end projecting downwardly from the bottom of said housing, a crank arm threaded to said vertically disposed shaft below said housing and rotatably adjustable relative to said vertically disposed shaft, a connecting rod adapted to operatively connect the free end of said crank arm to a switch and having one end thereof forked and perforated at one side of the axis of said connecting rod to receive a connecting bolt, a connecting bolt adapted to pivotally connect the forked end of said connecting rod to the free end of said crank arm, said crank armand the forked end of said connecting rod being adapted to be assembled beneath said switch-stand housing in definite relation to said stop lug and in position to permit the insertion of said connecting bolt into posi-' tion in a substantially horizontal direction and said assembled and connected crank arm connecting rod and connecting bolt adjusted away from said stop lug previously to attaching the connecting rod to a switch, to a position in which the bolt occupies a substantially vertical position with the head of the bolt adjacent to the bottom of the switch-standhousing where said bolt is prevented by the switcl1stand housing frombeing detached from the crank arm and connecting rod.

3. A railway switch stand comprising a switch stand housing, a vertically disposed shaft journaled to said switch stand housing and having above its journal a driving gear, and having below its journal a screw threaded transverse perforation to receive a screw-threaded crank arm, manually operable means to rock said vertical shaft, 21 screw-threaded crank arm engaging in the threaded perforation in said vertical shaft and adjustable relative to said vertical shaft, a connecting rod adapted to operatively connect the free end of said crank arm to a switch, said connecting rod being provided at one end with forked arms perforated and adapted to be pivotally connected to the free end of said crank arm, a connecting member to pivotally connect the forked end of said connecting rod to the free end of said crank arm, and stop means to limit the rocking movement of said connecting rod and connecting member relative to said switch stand housing to a fraction of a revolution from a substantially horizontal position of said connecting member to a substantially vertical position thereof.

4. A railway switch-stand comprising a switch-stand housing, a vertically disposed shaft journaled to said switch-stand housing with its lower end projecting downwardly from the bottom of said housing, a crank arm threaded to said vertically disposed shaft below said housing and rotatable relative to said vertically disposed shaft, a connecting rod adapted to operatively connect ,the free end of said crank arm to a switch, a connecting member adapted to pivotally connect one end of said connecting rod to the free end of said crank arm, stop means to limit the adjustment of said assembled crank arm connecting rod and connecting member to a fraction of a revolution, said crank and connecting rod being adapted to be assembled in position to permit the insertion of said pivotal connecting member into position in a substantially horizontal direction, and said assembled and connected crank arm connecting rod and connecting member adjusted previously to attaching the connecting rod to a switch, to a position in which the connecting member occupies a substantially vertical position in which the connecting member is prevented from being detached from the crank arm and connecting rod by the switch stand housing,

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

JOHN T; MoGARRY. 

